Statewide - More than 500 people died on Wisconsin roadways last year. Plenty of things factor in, but many of those could have been prevented by not drinking and driving. The DOT hopes its new smartphone app will help.You might have seen these commercials recently on our station. They promote the new "Drive Sober" App. It can use your phone's GPS to find the nearest safe ride. It also has a Blood Alcohol Content estimator and designated driver selection tool.
Oneida County Sheriff's Lieutenant Lloyd Gauthier knows not all car crash deaths are caused by drunk drivers. But he thinks tools like this one definitely help. "Some of that's due to intoxication, OWI, seatbelts, speed, so the more inforcement that we do and just educating the public that we certainly don't want to deter people from having a good time, but we want them to do it safely and responsibly," Gauthier said.The DOT stresses the BAC tool isn't exact. It's meant to give you basic guidance. The app is free in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.